Japan Rejects Apology to China, Rift Deepens
The rift that developed between China and Japan started when Japan took into custody a Chinese trawler captain, Zhan Qixiong. Even though the captain was released amid growing pressure from China, the rift continued to grow between the two countries. However, Japan denied it released the Chinese captain because of pressure from China.
Chinese people are still aware of hard times they faced during the Japanese colonial occupation of China and are inclined to protest even a small instance of disrespect. Both countries have claims on the disputed island chain known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan, where the trawler collided with Japanese patrol boats, so the latest issue expands beyond the release of the arrested men.
It is not understood whether only the captain was arrested and released or if his crew was also involved in the incident. The BBC News reported only a captain’s arrest, but CNN reported three days ago that the captain and his crew were arrested.
Oil rich islands
The dispute over the Senkaku islands in the East China Sea involves potentially lucrative drilling rights in the surrounding waters. The territorial dispute also hinges upon the collection of bird excrement by the Japanese, and medicinal herbs available on the islands. There is also a dispute whether the islands could really be called so, as they were remains of a dead volcano. If they are not islands, then the international territorial laws will not be applicable.
The arrests took place because of the Japanese claims of rights on the islands. Japan maintained that the arrests were made according to their own country’s laws. It said the trawler’s crew was released because the court believed the people did not collide intentionally with their patrol boats. However, the arrested men remained jailed in Japan for 2 weeks until the court proceedings.
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